The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-06-03
NUMBER so
THE FALLEN BRAVE.
Fitting and Successful Observance o
Memorial Day in Mankato.
THE MEMORIAL SERVICE.
The Exercises In Detail.

THE MEMORIAL SERVICE.
Fully sixteen hundred people Assem-
ed at the Opera House at8o'clock Sun
day evening to attend the union memor
ial service. The building was filled Il
its utmost capacity, and many who came
late were unable to obtain admission
The stage and boxes were appropriately
and finely decorated with flags and ban
ners. From either side was draped /;
large flag of the stars and stripes, while
above the stage was suspended banner
bearing the words: sour Fallen Heroe,
the Price of Liberty" At the base o
the stage was another motto: "Hov
Sleep the Brave?" In the upper boxes
were pictures of Lincoln and Garfield
the martyr Presidents-while those O.
Grant and Hancock occupied the lower
boxes. The recently presented picture
of Col. Alexander Wilkin was placed on
the left of the stage, while the flag
of the post was unfurled on the right.
In front of the stage, on either side, the
portraits of Mcclellan and Logan were
supported by stacks of arms. The Pres
byterian and Episcopal quartets and the
members of the Minister'S Association
occupied the stage. At o'clock Wilkin
Post marched i'm under the command OF
Post Commander Mead and occupied
the parquet, which had been reserved
for it. At S:15 Rev. &. r. Hair announc-
ed the opening anthem, "Gloria in Ex-
celsis," which was very pleasantly rem
dered by the Presbyterian Quartet, con-
sisting of Misses Gleason and Ellis;
Messrs. Brett and Thomas, Miss Blanche
Faufke acting as pianist. Reading OF
the scripture lesson by Rev. Mr.. Irwin
followed, after which an anthem-"God
be Merciful" very happily sung by
the Episcopal Quartet, consisting of
Mesdames Lindsey and Wood and
Messrs. McGraw and Swan, with Prof
Lindsey as Organist.
Prayer was offered by Rev. q. r..
Hair, President of the Ministers Asso-
citation, after which the audience arose
and joined in singing the hymn. GLOW
Firm Foundation" Mr.. Hair then in
troduced the Rev. Mr.. Hudson, of st.
Johns Episcopal church, who delivered
an able and eloquent sermon. He chose
for his text: "None of us liveth unto
himself, and no man dIeth to himself"
Romans l4:7. Mr.. Hudson read his
sermon and il was listened to with
marked attention by the large audience
present. The effort was an able one
and did credit to the deliverer, and was
an appropriate tribute to the memory
of the fallen as well as fitting lesson to
be derived from the annual observance
of Memorial Day. At the conclusion of
the sermon the audience again arose
and joined in singing, "Nearer my God
to Thee," after which prayer was offered
by Rev. Patterson. The exercises of
the evening closed by the singing of the
Doxology by the audience and the bene-
diction pronounced by Rev. Ii. A. Bush
nell.
The service was in every way appro-
pirate and passed off without any inter-
ruption or friction of any kind.
Memorial Day opened chilly and some
what disagreeably, having been ushered
in by light rain during the night. The
dust was well laid and the heat of the
previous week was dispelled. Threaten
ing clouds hid the SUMS disk as the
parade formed. By eight o'clock the
streets began to assume an air ofunusual
liveliness and hustle. Wagons began to
stream in from the country and merry
crowds of children trooped back and
forth along Front street. AS the hour
for the formation of the parade drew
nearer, the crowd increased until the
street was fairly lined with humanity.
The day was exceptionally favorable
for those who took part in the parade.
They were neither worried by dust nor
heat.
The parade formed on Front street
with the right resting at the City Hall
and started at about nine o'clock. The
various bodies took their positions quiet
ly and manifested good discipline by 80
doing. The order of formation was as
follows:
G. A. r. Drum Corps.
Co. "F" NJ. N. G..
Boys Battalion.
@. A. X. Veterans.
Fire Department.
Mayor and City Council in Carriages.
Citizens in Carriages.
Capt. j. R. Randall acted as Marshal
and was assisted by Capt. S. w. Burgess
and Capt. E. j. Davis as aides.
The fine If march was down Front
street to Plum, up Plum to Third, up
Third toLiberty, down Liberty to Front,
down Front to Walnut, and from there
to the Opera House. The uniformed
bodies presented q fine appearance. The
parade was witnessed by hundreds of
people who lined all the streets along the
line of march.
Before ten o'clock the procession had
completed its march and had entered
the Opera House and taken seats. Will
kin Post occupied the parquet, while
Co. "F'' was seated on the right and the
fire department on the left. The Opera
House was completely filed by the large
audience which had already assembled.
The stage had the same decorations as
last night, and was occupied by the ora.
tor of the day, Mayor and City Council,
quartette, the chief officers of the G. A.
r. and the boys who were to present
the boquets in memory of the dead sol
diers.
At promptly ten O'Clock Gen. Pope,
chairman of the committee of arrange
ments and master of ceremonies, step
be as quiet as possible during the exer.
cises.
Prayer was offered by Rev. N. Hobert
after which the beautiful ritual of the G.
A. r. was gone through by the members
of the Post. The Post glee club, con-
sisting of Messrs Brett, Schroeder,
Bromley and Eglestone, sang, "Not
Dead, but Sleepeth," in very effective
manner.
The orator of the day, Hon. ID. F.
Goodrich, of Blue Earth City, then be-
gan his address, a synopsis of which fol-
lows:
quarter of century had passed since the
labors of the G. A. X. were over. Thousands
had died since their duties had been performed.
1t was a pleasing sight to see so many still
preserved. Other orders passed from genera
ton TO generation, but theirs would pass into
history. and remain in name only.
The speaker stated the reasons for the OBJ
servance of Decoration Day, and thought that
1t should be as thoroughly observed and re-
spected as July 9TH. 1t was fitting that the g.
selves as well as the Revolutionary leaders,
since by their valor they had preserved the
Union which the latter had established. They
the men of '76. The Union stands. but stands
upon the graves of 100000 soldiers who died I'm
it's defense. To-day was set apart to comemo-
ed deeds of no less magnitude than those that
were performed in the Revolution. In no
year and at no period OF history was there
such a conflict as our civil war. Many of those
present bore wounds to tell of the conflict.
There was never nobler self-sacrifice. The
ranks of the soldiers were fast thinning out.
bad died recently. Mr.. Goodrich proceeded to
eulogize Logan, Mcclellan, Hancock and
Grant, to each of whom he paid q glowing trib-
ute. OF Logan, he said that no man ever COM
manded an army with more success or con-
summate skill. He was now gone, and his
deeds were enrolled among the brightest deeds
In the history Of the country, where they
would always remain. No imperfections
marked his character; no deed of his life after
the war marred his memory, He stands above
reproach, and the voice of calumny cannot
reach him. The old soldier had no better
friend than Logan. He knew their wants from
experience, and worked for them in the halls
of Congress.
OF Mcclellan, he said that many criticized
him for his slowness. No man without mill |